Group Long Term Care Insurance
Unum no longer sells new group or individual policies for Long Term Care (LTC) insurance, but we are servicing existing policies.
Assessing the future of your long term care policy
Our decision to discontinue selling new LTC policies does not affect our current policies. We will continue to administrate current policies and provide the same benefits, services and support for Long Term Care. To do so, we expect rate increases to be ongoing as we work to keep existing policies priced appropriately to meet future claim obligations.
We recognize past and potential future rate actions may have a financial impact on your policy, so we encourage you to explore these policy solutions to determine what option is best for you and your employees.
These resources can help with navigating concerns you may have or to determine whether to terminate, close or change your group LTC plan.
Types of financial impacts
Policy rate increases
Rate increases vary by state, product and pricing strategy. While some states have permitted implementation of the full requested rate increase either as a flat or as a multi-year increase, other states have permitted only a partial rate increase. For partial rate increase approvals, we intend to request additional increases with the goal of achieving the full rate increase.
New enrollee pricing
This affects new enrollees on active group policies and may be significantly higher than current rates. We are implementing new rates for new enrollees on all policy series.
History of increases
We've been raising rates and introducing new pricing on GLTC plans since 2013.
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2013: Unum started increasing rates on B.LTC and GLTC95 policies. This affected all plan designs. View pricing by state for B.LTC/GLTC95 2013.
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2018: Unum offers new pricing for New Enrollees on B.LTC and GLTC95 policies, which are higher than original rates. View pricing by state for B.LTC/GLTC95 2018.
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2019: Unum begins another set of rate increases on B.LTC, GLTC95 and GLTC04, impacting plan designs with Inflation Protection. View pricing by state for B.LTC/GLTC95 2019 and GLTC04 2019.
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2022: Unum introduces New Enrollee pricing for GLTC04 policies from the mid-2000s to 2012 and implements additional new enrollee pricing for B.LTC and GLTC95 policies. View pricing by state for B.LTC/GLTC95 2022 and GLTC04 2022.
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2024: Unum implements more rate increases on B.LTC, GLTC95 and GLTC04, like those in 2013, affecting all plan designs.
Unum is here to help
Do you wonder if employees still value this benefit? Are you questioning if offering the benefit is worth the cost of the plan? Are you concerned about future rate increases? If so, you aren't alone, and it may be time to take action on your Group LTC plan. Unum offers several solutions, including freezing, changing or terminating your plan. Unsure where to start? We can guide you through your options to find the best fit for your organization.
We’ve helped so many group policyholders just like you choose what to do with their plans. Click below to learn how they made decisions about their plans.
Actions to take with your GLTC policy
Freeze future enrollments
Stop new enrollments, but maintain a group bill for your currently covered employees for the convenience of payroll deductions.
Terminate the policy
Discontinue your obligations as plan administrator, and remove your involvement in any future rate increases by terminating the group policy. Employees will pay their premium directly to Unum.
Explore plan changes
Update your GLTC plan design by reducing benefit options and thereby reducing your premiums.
Resources to support your GLTC policy decision
All day, everyday — helpful information about your GLTC policy
From policy details to plan designs, find it all on a website built specifically for your GLTC policy.
Designed by Unum, a GLTC Infosite is a website created for plan administrators and employees to easily find answers or download important forms. Each site is built to have:
- Policy specific rates
- Available plan designs
- Enrollment materials
- Coverage change forms
- Interactive coverage cost calculator
Commonly asked questions about long term care policies
NEP rates apply only to employees who enrolled in Group Long Term Care coverage on or after the implementation date of NEP rates.
The rate increase notification packet will specifically state the details of the approved rate increase. Please refer to the packet you recently received regarding the current rate increase.
The informational website URL is provided to plan administrators and employees in Group Long Term Care rate increase notification packets. You may call 1-800-227-4165 between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. E.T., Monday through Friday, to speak to a customer care representative who can provide you with your policy-specific infosite link should you not be able to locate it.
The product series is the GLTC contract version Unum sold/provided at the time of implementing your policy. To determine your product series, please contact the Unum Customer Service Center at 1-800-227-4165 for assistance Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. E.T.
Instructions to assist in navigating your policy-specific infosite are located on the home page of each infosite. Once on the home page, click "How to Use This Website" located in the upper left corner under the policy name.
New enrollee pricing (NEP) is administered the same as legacy rates. However, NEP rates apply only to employees who enrolled in Group Long Term Care coverage on or after the implementation date of NEP rates.
An individual wishing to continue Group Long Term Care coverage must submit a signed and dated Election to Continue Group Long Term Care Insurance form to Unum within the time period defined in the contract, also known as Portability period.
To determine the Portability period for your policy, please contact the Unum Customer Service Center at 1-800-227-4165 for assistance Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. E.T.
Inflation protection benefit allows the benefit amount to grow at an annual rate of 5.0%. The inflated benefit amount is calculated using the inflation coverage type (Compound, CPI, Simple, or Scheduled Growth) and years of inforce coverage. The annual inflated benefit amount calculation occurs either on the anniversary of the individual’s coverage effective date (GLTC04 product series) or on January 1st of each year (B.LTC/GLTC95 product series).
No, Group Long Term Care does not allow for self-accounting bills.
Please refer to your specific informational website (infosite) to access information about the new rates and plan options, as well as access enrollment materials and other disclosure forms. This infosite includes an interactive cost calculator that will allow participants to compare their existing cost to their new cost, as well as provide cost illustrations for potential plan changes, if desired.
Learn more about the options to freeze the policy to future enrollments or terminate the policy altogether in the above section called “Actions to take with your GLTC policy.”
Once the inflation protection benefit is removed from coverage, the benefit amount will no longer receive future inflation increases. Inflation increases already applied to the benefit amount will remain intact, often referred to as a ‘parked benefit’. In order to remove the inflation protection benefit from coverage, the group policy must offer a plan design without inflation protection.
An infosite is an informational website designed by Unum specifically for each policy. The website contains Group Long Term care policy details such as rates, available plan designs, and forms to apply for coverage, request changes in coverage or request continuation of coverage after employment ends. This website can be accessed by the plan administrator, employees and family members eligible for coverage.
Contingent Non-Forfeiture (CNF) is a provision offered only at the time of a rate increase. The provision allows for continued, but reduced benefits if:
- All premiums that are due up to the effective date of the premium increase are paid.
- Premium payments are stopped on the premium effective date or within 120 days from the premium effective date.
As a result, the lifetime maximum benefit will be lower. It will be the greater of these two options:
- One Facility Monthly Benefit payment or
- The total premium paid for your coverage (including any employer contributions, if applicable).
Certain states allow for an Enhanced Contingent Non-Forfeiture (ECNF) benefit which may be of higher value than what is outlined above. These states include AL, AR, CO, GA, HI, ID, IL, KY, LA, ME, MD, MN, MS, MT, NV, NH, OH, OK, OR, RI, SC, SD, TX, VA, WA, WV, WI. If ECNF is available to you, a separate packet of information will be provided.
Group Long Term Care is a product that refers to medical and non-medical services provided to people who are physically or mentally unable to provide independent care for themselves. Long term care is the type of care received by someone who needs assistance performing basic activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, transferring, toileting, continence and eating, or needs assistance because of Severe Cognitive Impairment. Disabilities that require long term care can be caused by accidents, illnesses, or advanced age.
Under a group policy, the employer/sponsoring organization is generally the acting plan administrator for this benefit offering. As plan administrator, you are responsible for distributing communication materials for coverage and premium changes that impact any group billed participants, including a rate increase.
Also referred to as ‘Election to Continue Coverage’ or ‘Continuation of Coverage’, portability allows participants to elect to continue their long term care coverage upon leaving an employer or if the employer terminates the plan. Participants choosing to continue coverage through portability are responsible for the entire cost of their coverage.
A legacy rate increase impacts employees enrolled in Group Long Term Care coverage prior to the implementation of new employee pricing (NEP) rates. Employees enrolling in coverage on or after the implementation of NEP rates on the policy will receive rate increases specific to NEP rates. A legacy rate increase will not impact employees enrolled with NEP rates; NEP rate increases will not impact employees enrolled with legacy rates.
The inflation protection benefit is intended to help maintain the value of benefits an individual purchases to keep up with future increases in the cost of long term care.
There are many available options to reduce the impact of future repricing efforts, such as changing the Group Long Term Care plan design by reducing benefit options, freezing the policy to future enrollments or terminating the policy altogether. For more information and support with these options, contact Unum by clicking on “Employer Support” at the bottom of the page.
Rate increases on our Group Long Term Care policy forms have been in progress since 2012, and repricing efforts are ongoing. To learn more about historical premium increases and current repricing initiatives, review the Rate Increase State Implementation Grids linked in the section on the homepage titled "History of increases." state pricing is linked by plan name and year.
List bill requires policyholders to pay the exact billed amount each month to avoid unnecessary billing and payment discrepancies, collection/past due actions and possible policy termination for non-payment or lack of proper administration. List bill accounts for all employee adjustments. However, the adjustment may be included a month following the employee change.
Group Long Term Care does not allow for self-accounting bills.
Current rates can be found on your specific informational website (infosite) designed by Unum for your policy. Rates, plan options, enrollment materials and other disclosure forms can be found on this site. The infosite includes an interactive cost calculator that will allow participants to compare their existing cost to new cost, as well as provide cost illustrations for potential coverage changes, if desired.
The plan administrator is responsible for providing portability materials to employees by:
- Distributing the Election to Continue Group Long Term Care Insurance form directly to employees, or
- Providing the infosite URL directly to employees to obtain the required form.
These materials should be provided as soon as the plan administrator is aware of employment termination or termination of the group policy with Unum.
Employers and HR Professionals
We want to help you with your Group Long Term Care policy.
Email us for more information or to speak with a Unum representative about your Group Long Term Care policy.
If you are an insured and need support with your coverage, please call the Unum Customer Contact Center at
1-800-227-4165.